New Podcast Episode: Marc Benioff Takes Us To School On Innovation And Gender Rights

It can be hard to predict exactly what you'll get in conversation with Salesforce chairman and CEO Marc Benioff. And this is a good thing. Who wants predictable? With Marc you get shrewd, big and provocative and for that you have to accept a pitch for Salesforce's customer-centric technology that generates more business, makes people happy and fights climate change. His record speaks for itself: Salesforce has a $40 billion-plus market cap, a $7 billion-plus revenue run-rate and $1.6 billion in operating cash flow last year. Even GAAP profits are on the way!

The truth is Marc is one of the most galvanizing figures in global business. His approach to melding a company and its philanthropy has inspired a generation of tech founders in the Bay Area. Lately he's taken to Twitter to threaten economic sanctions (withholding business in those states) on Indiana and Georgia over legislation that could be used to restrict civil rights for gays. In Indiana the law passed anyway but got watered down. Georgia is still in progress. He's also committed to equalizing pay-for-performance between men and women at Salesforce.

I spoke with Marc for about 40 minutes 10 days ago at the Forbes CIO Summit at the Ritz Carlton in Half Moon Bay, Calif. We recorded it live for our tech podcast. the Premise. Give a listen below. Marc turns the tables on me right away, pouncing over my snarky intro. Midway through Marc explains how 30 Zen monks made a big design impact on Salesforce's new huge tower in downtown San Francisco.